For those of us with an 'O' Level in geography,
it comes as no surprise that there are many similarities between Swiss beer
and that of Austria and Bavaria. (For the geographically-challenged: Austria
and Bavaria are Switzerland's northern and eastern neighbours.)

This is continental Europe (and not Belgium), so we're in lager country,
children. We shouldn't be surprised that country with four official languages
is ever so slightly schizophrenic. On the one hand, Swiss brewers voluntarily
stick (in certain circumstances) to the Reinheitsgebot.
Then they're proud to brew lagers with a third maize or rice. So proud,
in fact, that they celebrate the foreign grain in the beer's name. Not that
I'm complaining. Odd it might be, honest it certainly is.

East
is East and West is West
There are two distinct beer cultures (ignoring mass-market stuff):

Western Switzerland (French-speaking cantons and neighbouring areas,
the limit being somewhere near Berne) has been exposed to Belgian imports
for 30 years. Since 1997 beers from Quebec have also been available. But
they don't limit their influences to other Francophone regions; the micros
in this part of Switzerland are also open to British styles.

Eastern Switzerland (German-speaking cantons) is still very much
lager country. The micros and brewpubs there brew lager, lager and more
lager... it's also the region where independent family brewers are still
strong. Their lagers are decent, at times, if unspectacular.

The
Swiss brewing industry

Without any big predators of its own, Switzerland, inevitably, attracted
the attention of those that had already emptied their own praries of buffalo. Heineken
and Carlsberg gobbled up a considerable portion of the Swiss industry without a great
deal of effort. Between them they have around two thirds of the Swiss beer market.

They did what this type of global parasite always does: push their own crappy lagers
and kill off any interesting beer that falls into their hands. So goodbye Switzerland's
only internationally-known beer (Samichlaus - now brewed in Austria by Schloss
Eggenberg). I'm sure that such philanthropically-inclined enterprises will
continue to improve and rationalise the the poor old parochial Swiss brewing industry.

The current number of active breweries is 92 - a very respectable number
for a country with only 7.25 million inhabitants.. The breweries break down
as follows:

Brewery

No.

Details

Carlsberg/Feldschlösschen

3

Has breweries in Rheinfelden (Feldschlösschen), Fribourg (Cardinal) and
Sion (Valaisanne). Has 42% of the Swiss market.

Heineken

1

Has a brewery in Chur. Previously known as Calanda Haldengut
Brauereien. Has 17% of the Swiss market.

Independents

18

Mostly pretty small (<50,000 hl).

Brewpubs

42

The first brewpubs started to appear in the 1990's. As you can see, there are quite
a few of them.

Microbreweries

28

The microbrewery scene is very buoyant in Switzerland.

Brewers' Trade Organisations
As in several other traditional brewing nations, there has been a growing divergence
between the interests of a handful of large brewers and their smaller rivals. One
result has been the establishment of a group representing the views of small, established
breweries.

Beer Drinkers' Organisation
Switzerland has an active and well-supported beer consumers' organiasation:
Association des Buveurs d'Orges (ABO) - "Barley Drinkers' Association".
Unlike Belgium, where the beer consumer movement is almost exclusively Flemish,
ABO draws its support from both the French- and German-speaking communities
(yes, I am aware that two other langauges are spoken in Switzerland). This
is reflected in their magazine, "Le Courier de l'Orge/Der Gerstenkurier",
which is bilingual.

Heaven and Helles
Swiss beer, to no real surprise, slots in neatly between Austria and Bavaria.
These are the only major beer markets where, though pale lager is still
king, it's in the form of Helles rather than Pils. But how long will this
last, especially with Heineken and Carlsberg running much of the Swiss brewing
industry?

Bottom-fermenting Styles
The overwhelming of majority of beer brewed in Switzerland is bottom-fermenting.
The great majority are in broadly the same style as their Bavarian equivalents.

This is a breakdown of the bottom-fermenting styles:

Style

alc.

Plato

description

Schwarzbier

4.6 - 5.2%

A recent appearance (or re-appearance) on the Swiss brewing landscape.
Röstmalz gives these dark lagers their alluring pitch-black hue. The
bitterness in such beers derives mostly from this type of roasted malt,
too.

Luxusbier

min. 4.1%

10º

The definition of this type of beer is incredibly vague - anything in
a fancy bottle made from unusual ingredients.

Pilsner/Premium-Bier

4.6 - 5.2%

The standard very pale, slightly hoppy sort of crap sold everywhere. Swiss
versions are rarely labelled as "pils" - the vague term "Premium-Bier"
is preferred. Tend to slightly stronger - over 5% - than in other German-speaking
countries.

Lagerbier (Dunkles)

4.2 - 5.3%

10 - 12º

A lightly-hopped dark lager. This style is always brewed to the Reinheitsgebot.

Lagerbier (Helles)

4.2 - 5.3%

10 - 12º

A lightly-hopped pale lager. This style is always brewed to the Reinheitsgebot.
The most popular style of beer in Switzerland.

Zwickelbier

4.8 - 5.7%

11.5 - 14º

Unfiltered lager. Usually an unfiltered version of a Helles or Spezialbier.
A relatively new innovation, but one that has already been taken up by many
brewers.

Spezialbier Hell

4.8 - 5.7%

11.5 - 14º

Full-bodied and quite heavily-hopped pale lager. Along the same lines
as a Bavarian Spezial. This style is always brewed to the Reinheitsgebot.

Spezialbier Dunkel

4.8 - 5.7%

11.5 - 14º

Dark, malty lager, similar to a Bavarian Dunkles Export. This style is
always brewed to the Reinheitsgebot. Though many
breweries make one, it is very much a minority style.

Festbier/ Märzenbier

5.8 - 6%

14 - 15º

The term Festbier is quite vague, covering a whole range of pale or amber
lagers. This style is always brewed to the Reinheitsgebot.

Bock

5.4 - 7%

13 - 17º

Strong, bitter-sweet lagers, which can vary from pale yellow to dark brown
in colour. Usually available only at certain times of the year - typically
Easter and Christmas. Some of the Swiss examples would be considered far
too weak to be called a bock in Germany or Austria. This style is always
brewed to the Reinheitsgebot.

Leichtbier

max. 3%

Low-alcohol pale lager.

Maisbier/Reisbier

4.8 - 5.7%

11.5 - 14º

Pale lager, where the palate has been lightened by the use of maize or
rice in the grist. Such beers have names like "Maisperle".

Top-fermenting Styles
There are a few examples of Bavarian-style wheat beers, but the style does
not enjoy the same level of popularity as it does in Germany. That aside,
the commercial Swiss breweries are effectively 100% bottom-fermenting.

This is an overview of the top-fermenting beers brewed in Switzerland:

Style

alc.

Plato

description

Weizenbier

4.8 - 5.4%

11.5 - 13º

Top-fermenting wheat beer in the Bavarian style. Comes in pale and dark,
filtered and unfiiltered varieties. Lightly-hopped, high in carbonation,
and with a characteristic spiciness derived from the special yeast culture.

Altbier

4.2 - 5.3%

10 - 12º

A copper to pale brown coloured beer, which is fairly
dry and hoppy.

Others

varies

Some micros and brewpubs brew beers in British styles,
such as Bitter, Stout or Porter. Others try their hand at Belgian styles
like Witbier or strong ale.

Brewpub in, as the name suggests, an old tram garage. In addition to the
three regular draught beers, they brew seasonal specialities. In 2003, these
beers included: English Bitter Ale, Pils, Oktoberfestbier, Trappist Beer,
Smoked Beer, Muenchner, Easter Bock.

No idea what sort of beer this is. I'll just quote the brewery:
"Das spritzig frische iis bier mit seinem milden, bierigen
Geschmack und der leichtbetonten Hopfennote ist der ideale Durstlöscher
für heisse Tage, laue Sommerabende und coole Partys."
You tell me what that means. Unless my German relations have been
playing a very elaborate joke on me, "bierigen Geschmack"
means "beery taste". It's sort of what you expect, when
you buy a bottle that has the word "beer" somewhere prominent
on the label. (Though I will admit that there are plenty of Belgian
beers that don't have the slightest trace of "beery flavour".)
Bottled only.

Microbrewery. A brewery with brewing some unusual beers. I thought that
the term "Trappist" was protected in the EU (silly me - Switzerland
isn't in the EU). It's still irriatating to see such a precisely-defined
term misused.

Wheat beer. Brewed for Actienbrauerei Frauenfeld, but
also supplied to Heineken customers.

Haldengut Dunkel

5.6%

Dark lager.

Heineken operates one brewery, located in Chur, through its Swiss subsidiary.
The Haldengut brewery in Winterthur closed in 2002, the remaining brands
being brewed in Chur. The two breweries were known as Calanda Haldengut
Brauereien before the Heineken takeover. If they had room on their website
for anything other than gimmicky junk, I might even be able to tell you
what beers they brew.

Brewpub in a farm. They grow their own hops, which they use in a variety
of products, including vinagar, oil, schnapps and tea. They run all sorts
of beer- and hop-related activities, such as brewing seminars.

Unfiltered pale lager. Only available at the brewery, where you
can get your bottles filled directly from the lager tank.

Karbacher Mustang Hafer Perle

5%

Pale lager. Brewed using oats.

Karbacher Mustang Hafer Perle Dunkel

5%

Dark lager. Brewed using oats.

Independent brewery. The only brewery in Kanton Soloturn. It was founded
by a Bavarian, Franz Karbacher, to brew beer for his pub next to the Aarebrücke.
The brewery is run today by his great-grandson.

The brewer, René Kündig, completed a brewing apprenticeship at Hürlimann
in 1968. He worked briefly at Usterbräu in Uster before changing career
in 1970. In the 1990's he got the urge again and took up home-brewing. His
friends liked the beer so much, that he built a larger, professional brewery
in an old pigshed.

No idea what sort of beer this is. I'll just quote the
brewery: "Das spritzig frische iis bier mit seinem milden, bierigen
Geschmack und der leichtbetonten Hopfennote ist der ideale Durstlöscher
für heisse Tage, laue Sommerabende und coole Partys."
You tell me what that means. Unless my German relations have been
playing a very elaborate joke on me, "bierigen Geschmack"
means "beery taste". It's sort of what you expect, when
you buy a bottle that has the word "beer" somewhere prominent
on the label. (Though I will admit that there are plenty of Belgian
beers that don't have the slightest trace of "beery flavour".)
Bottled only.

In 1865 an Ulmer brewery bought an old tannery on the edge of Frauenfeld
and built a brewery on the site. Their website is unclear as to when the
original brewery closed. Back & Brau built a fitted a small brewing installation
into pub part of Sternen in 1989.

After 1995 beer was only been fermented on site - unfermented wort is shipped
from the Back & Brau Steinfels in Zürich. In 2000 it dropped the Back &
Brau name and became the Brauhaus Sternen. although most of its output was
still mashed in Zürich, it also started brewing a Belgian style wheat beer
on a seperate small brewing kit.In 2003 it installed a large size full mash
brewery, and (as far as I know) now all beers are fully produced on site.
It is owned by the Actienbrauerei Frauenfeld, in whose old brewery tap it
is based.

I have to thank Paul Harrop whose New Breweries
page provided much useful information, Bov for his
Swiss Beer Guide and Laurent Mousson for his explanation of Swiss beer culture.
This page would not have been as complete without their help.